Becoming a radiology technologist requires at least two years of higher education, but after getting that degree, you still have many opportunities to advance your career. Some rad techs choose to specialize in a specific modality, some become instructors, and some go into management positions. What should you do if you’re looking career advancements in radiology?
Become an Instructor
If you enjoy sharing your knowledge while still in healthcare, you can become an instructor. There are a variety of facilities that can utilize a radiology educator. For instance, you can work in higher education and train future technologists, or you can become an instructor for continuing education classes.
AHEC has a team of expert instructors that teaches a variety of topics. If you’re interested in teaching, and you have a topic in mind, send an email to kreddix@aheconline.com. We’re always on the lookout for new instructors and presentations.
Go into Management
Want to oversee a team of radiology technologists? You can advance into a leadership position at your facility. A management position would generally require you to supervise staff, manage business operations, and make personnel and equipment decisions while still performing imaging procedures. Rad techs that want to go into management might pursue business degrees or take a leadership training course.
If you’re looking to advance your career and become a manager or supervisor, AHEC’s Innovative Leadership Academy will provide you with an understanding of leadership and practical tools you can immediately put into practice.
Cross-Train to a Modality
Another way to advance your career is by specializing in a modality. Different modalities have different requirements that could vary from state to state. There are a variety of specialties you can advance into, but today, we’ll touch on mammography, MRI, and CT.
Mammography
Radiologic technologists have the option to become mammographers. Mammography technologists are vital to early cancer detection, and they work directly with patients. Becoming a mammographer requires an initial training course that meets the requirements outlined by the MQSA, 25 supervised mammograms, and passing the licensure test. For more details on how to become a mammographer, check out this article.
MRI/CT
If you’re looking to cross-train into MRI or CT, you would need to take MRI or CT classes to meet the requirements of ASRT. After that, you’ll need to take and pass the ARRT registry before being able to practice MRI or CT.
Unsure if you should cross-train to MRI or CT? Take introduction courses and see if that’s the right move for you. If you’ve decided that you want to cross-train to MRI or CT, there are prep and exam review courses that meet the structured education requirements for ARRT and will prepare you to pass the registry.
Career Options for Radiology
Radiology offers many career advancement routes that you can take. You can become a teacher, cross-train into a modality, or go into management. There are also alternative career options you can pursue as a radiology technologist, such as paleoradiologist or a biomedical equipment technologist. Whatever path you choose, radiology has many uses in the real world.
